Abstract
Hydatid disease is one of the most and serious public health and veterinary problems in Libya and other North African countries. Thirteen rural villages of two main districts bordered to each other at the north midland of the country namely, Misrata which is almost agricultural area and about 200 km east of Tripoli and Sirt which is almost pasture area and about 500 km east of Tripoli, were included in the current study. Incidence of cystic echinococcosis was investigated serologically using serum samples collected from 2651 animals of three groups; young sheep under two years old (240), adult sheep over two years old (2082) and adult goats over two years old (329). Antigen B prepared from camel crude hydatid cyst fluid together with ELISA were used for detection of total IgG antibodies against hydatid cysts in the collected serum samples. 1377/2651 serum samples from all animal groups of both districts gave overall ELISA seropositive result of 52%. The overall ELISA seropositivity for each group of animals was 55/240 (23%), 1235/2082 (59%) and 87/329 (26%) for young sheep, adult sheep and goats (all adults) respectively. In Misrata district, the overall seropositivity was 729/1243 (59%) and among the villages it was 43% from Saso and 78% from Tawergha; while in Sirt district, the overall seropositivity was 648/1408 (46%) and among the villages it was 25% from El-Gbeba and 63% from El-Arbaien. Statistical analysis showed no significant differences in the rate of seropositivity between the three groups of animals which was 23, 59 and 26%, in young sheep, adult sheep and adult goats respectively and between the two district areas which was 59% in Misrata and 46% in Sirt. Also statistical analysis showed no significant differences in the rate of seropositivity between the different age animal groups which was 23% for young sheep and 68% for adult sheep 7- <10 yrs old and in the case of goats, it was 24% for goats 2- <4 yrs old to 29% for goats 7+ yrs old.
Highlights
Cystic Echinococcosis (CE) is one of the most geographical widespread zoonotic diseases that occur in all inhabited continents, with variable levels of endimicity ranged from endemic to hyper endemic
Serum samples were carefully drawn off and transferred to 1.5 ml microcentrifuge plastic tubes (Eppendorf) in 1 ml aliquots and stored at -20°C until used. 10 serum samples from sheep and goats heavily infected with cystic hydatidosis in liver and lungs as assessed at post-mortem examination were used as a positive control and 14 serum samples from sheep and goats that reared under controlled conditions and did not show any sign of cystic hydatidosis at post-mortem examination were used as a negative control
A total of 2651 serum samples collected from live young sheep (240), adult sheep (2082) and adult goats (329) were serologically tested in Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) using partially purified native antigen B preparation for the detection of total IgG anti-hydatid antibodies
Summary
Cystic Echinococcosis (CE) is one of the most geographical widespread zoonotic diseases that occur in all inhabited continents, with variable levels of endimicity ranged from endemic to hyper endemic. The distribution of E. granulosus is more prevalent in rural communities where there is a close contact between dogs, the definitive hosts and various domestic ruminants including sheep, goats and others which act as the intermediate hosts for the parasite (Eckert and Deplazes, 2004). In Libya, CE is a serious economic and public health problem where the common sheep/dog cycle is usually considered as the major. Livestock infection on the other hand leads to economic losses and the feeding of domestic and stray dogs with offal discarded from animals slaughtered for human consumption helps to maintain the life cycle of E. granulosus (Dalimi et al, 2009). The intermediate hosts for E. granulosus produce a significant immune response against the infection and the parasite on the other hand develops highly effective strategies to protect itself from the host defences and to avoid clearance (Zhang et al, 2003), the production of such antibodies are important for the development of serodiagnostic assays
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